Short Answer
by xxpiratexx
Summary: My newest chaptered fic! LilyEvansJamesPotter. There are so many questions...and so many answers. Read and Review?
1. Introduction

Comparisons Short AnswerIntroduction

A/N: This is my newest chaptered fic. Review…telling me whether you'd like me to continue it or not!

x.x.x.

"It is time for the annual Seventh Year Ball."

Professor Dumbledore's announcement was greeted with loud cheers.

"This year's ball will not be the same as other years. All of the faculty have agreed that it would be an interesting idea for dance partners to be _chosen_…"

Here he adjusted his half-moon spectacles.

"…by the results of a survey. It is nearly impossible to use wizarding methods for this purpose, so we will resort to Muggle ones…a written test.

"You must write your answers to the questions on the test, which is short answer, of course, and, based on those, you will be paired with someone of the opposite gender that we feel will match you splendidly.

"Now…seeing as this is a meeting of only Seventh Year students, I trust it will not be a problem if I administer this…short answer test now." As always, Albus Dumbledore did not wait for a response from his audience.

Papers magically appeared in front of students, who frantically grabbed their quills and many different colors of ink.

A certain Lily Evans did not rush, however. She brought out her quill and ink slowly, with a rather determined expression on her face. "_Anybody_ but Potter," _she_ muttered.

Meanwhile, a James Potter brought out his writing utensils with the same expression on his face as darling Lily. "_Nobody_ but Evans," _he _muttered.


	2. Question One

Comparisons Short AnswerQuestion One

What is your favorite color?

Smoothing her vivid hair, Lily analyzed the question. "My favorite color _is_ green, but Potter will try to match my answers, so I suppose I'll have to lie," she sighed.

"I don't like lying, not really, but I have no choice. I'd rather lie than be paired with Potter."

_Black_ she wrote in elegant bottle green script.

x.x.x.

Mussing _his_ hair, James pondered. "What _is_ her favorite color?" he asked his quill. Having memorized it, he went through her wardrobe in his mind, counting the number of shirts she had of each color.

"And green wins by a landslide," he whispered, triumphant.

**Green** he scrawled, using black ink.


	3. Question Two

Comparisons Short AnswerQuestion Two

2. What is your favorite animal?

Lily nearly laughed at the simplicity (and complexity) of the question.

"Well, I love does. But that's _quite_ obvious, for my Patronus _is_ a doe."

"Perhaps I should choose a stag? No, no. A thousand times no. Potter might end up putting doe, and we'd have a problem, then, wouldn't we? Two animals of opposite genders of the same species? Problem."

"A doe is gentle. The opposite of that'd be a lion. Lion it is."

Lion

x.x.x.

James furrowed his brow. "Lily likes does. I _know_ she likes does. She has a doe Patronus, for heaven's sake! To compatibly match a doe, I should choose the male version, should I not?"

But here he paused. "Not _all_ people's Patronus is their favorite animal. I'd better ask Marlene."

**What is Lily's favorite animal? ** James looked at the paper, satisfied, and passed it to Marlene.

Why, a doe, of course! Marlene replied, tossing the note at his head.

He nearly laughed aloud, smiling at Marlene's bubbly blue script.

**Stag**


	4. Question Three

Short Answer

Short Answer

Question Three

3. What is your favorite food?

"Well, I LOVE wild rice with colored peppers. I don't think James knows _that_. And it'll be nice to write the truth for once. I mean, what if I get a bloke who hates the stuff I like and loves the stuff I hate?"

With this (twisted) logic, Lily decidedly wrote her answer.

_Wild rice._

_(With colored peppers)_

x.x.x.

James moved his quill to the next answer spot. "Wow! I am so glad I asked Alice this just last month! Hopefully, her favorite food hasn't changed since then. Has it? No, I don't think it has. Lily's not much of a change-y person. She likes to stick to the old. Doesn't she?

Well…I might as well write it because, you know, there's no WAY for me to find her new favorite food. If she has one."

And, rather confused by _his_ "logic", he hesitantly wrote his answer.

**Spanish wild rice with vividly colored peppers.**


	5. Question Four

Short Answer

Question Four

4. What would you do if a student in a rival House was being bullied by members of your own House?

Lily frowned. She hated scenario questions. They never gave enough information. Who was the student, anyways? What year was he (or she) in? Who were the students that were bullying? What year were _they_ in? Why were they bullying the student, anyways? Did they have reasons?

She finally admitted (to herself and the survey) that she would probably help the student. She also decided that Potter had this sick idea that she was some kind of Divine Being who was nice to everybody and helped everyone (except, of course, the Marauders and, more recently, Severus and some other twisted Slytherins) and always had a smile on her face, etcetera, etcetera.

Looking down at her paper, again frowning at the scenario question, she came up with a suitable phrase.

_I would leave the student to fend for him or herself._

x.x.x.

James laughed at the survey that had so often forced to him to analyze—and overanalyze—its questions, for now he had beaten it. Lily was _Head Girl_. She could not stand by and watch as this poor little student from another House was getting tormented by others from her own House!

James had a weakness for scenario questions. He realized that this question so perfectly portrayed the Marauders and Severus…before, of course, Lily had blown her already fiery top and put her petite foot down, making a much larger thud than he had expected.

He felt sort of bad now. "No time for this shit," he muttered to himself.

**I'd step in and help.**

He looked back at his answer, then laughed and added to it.

**I'd step in and help. (The student in the rival House)**

x.x.x.

_**A/N: There you go! Another chapter of Short Answer available for your reading and reviewing, right there. I'm sorry for the delay! Writing this is so fun! I'm actually a couple chapters ahead of the story!**_

_**Read and Review, please? I'd offer reviewers something…but…there isn't really much to offer in this chapter! Hmm…ugh. Just go ahead and take that large chocolaty thing featured in 'A Lot of Chocolate'. I've never tasted it, but I bet it's pretty darn delicious. OH! It's my birthday TOMORROW! SPLEE!**_

_**Rose**_


	6. Question Five

Short Answer

Short Answer

Question Five

5. If somebody you did not like (or simply despised) asked you to Hogsmeade, what would you do?

Lily frowned. Again, a bloody scenario question. It was fairly easy, though. Obviously, as she had done so many times with one James Potter, she would blatantly refuse. But, of course, since she was answering the near opposite of what she felt for each question, she thought again.

_Turn him down graciously and as nicely as possible_

x.x.x.

The questions are getting easier, James thought. I mean, they actually apply to real life. He easily remembered the countless number of times that he had asked Lily out and she had said she hated/heavily disliked him. Her reaction to his invitations was rather obvious to one and all. Her steel tongue always lashed something at him that he could have lived his entire life without hearing.

In fact, he could not remember a single time he had asked her to Hogsmeade when she had told him a simple "no" or been polite at all.

**Turn them down, adding an insult for good measure.**

x.x.x.

A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't been updating! I'm just super busy. This chapter isn't exactly great, but review anyways?

_**Please?**_

_**A cookie for reviewers,**_

_**Rose**_


	7. Question Six

Short Answer

**Question Six**

**6. If you had the choice between reading the following three genres of books, which would you choose? (Romance, nonfiction, or humor)**

**x..x.x.**

Lily scowled. Again, the question did not have enough information! In this case, there were only three genres of books. How would this question be helpful at all without the adventure genre?

She knew some people that only read the adventure genre, and nothing else. And she, personally, liked all three of the choices, but also more.

What a poorly crafted question! Also, there was a 1/9 chance that she'd have the same answer as…Potter. She decided she'd go with her gut feeling.

_All of the above_

**x.x.x.**

James glared at the question that had triumphed over him. He did not know Lily's favorite book genre! Was he a bad stalker? Or…erm…potential boyfriend? Well…he had recently seen her in the library poring over _Hogwarts, a History_. He nudged the Ravenclaw next to him. "What's Evans' favorite book genre?"

"Why would I tell _you_?" the boy snickered. "She's _hot_."

James was ready to kill the boy, but he paused. Instead of making a scene, he silently damned the boy to hell, then peeked over the boy's shoulder and copied his answer.

**History**

**x.x.x.**

A/N: How did you like it? This is the last prewritten one I have, so the next update might take a while. I'm /not/ ahead of the fanfic any more…so…yeah.

_**ANY IDEAS FOR QUESTIONS ARE WELCOME!! PLEASE REVIEW WITH IDEAS, AS MY PM FEATURE IS NOT WORKING!**_

_**Thanks,**_

_**Rose**_


	8. Conclusion

**This concludes your survey.**

**x..x.x.**

Lily chuckled. That was it? She had definitely mastered this survey. She smiled, leaning back in her chair, hands folded across her chest, ignoring the wink Potter gave her.

**x.x.x.**

James laughed. He had so obviously won the girl of his dreams for the Seventh Year Ball that it was ridiculous. His masterful thinking had definitely helped him out here. Now all he had to do was wait for Dumbledore to announce the names.

**x.x.x.**

"Sirius Black and…Emma Choi"

"Lily Po – er, Lily Evans and James Potter"

…………………………..

**x.x.x.**

The rest of the words were nothing; James and Lily didn't hear anything else coming out of Dumbledore's mouth. James smiled happily while Lily scowled at him. After all the names had been called, she stormed up to Dumbledore, feet hitting the ground as hard as hard as Sirius' girlfriends – er, ex-girlfriends had slapped his face the previous night.

"Professor Dumbledore!" she shouted, "HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? I mastered that survey. Why did you pair me and James? I bet I had almost none of the same answer as him!"

"Well, dear, you did have one…"

"Exactly my point!"

"But, don't you see? According to this Muggle magazine…opposites attract."

_**A/N: :) CONCLUSIONNN. Sorry it took so long **_

_**Thanks,**_

_**Rose**_


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